Snap-movement-valve mechanism



C. F. BRAND.

SNAP MOVEMENT mve MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.28. I9IB- Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

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CHARLES F. BRAND, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

SNAP-MOVEMENT-VALVE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application filed December 28, 1918. Serial No. 268,605.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. BRAND, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Wheeling, county of Ohio, and State of WVest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap Movement Valve Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates specifically to snapmovement control valves, and it has for its primary object to provide a thermostatically controlled mechanism for actuating the control valve of gas, steam, hot water, or hot air supply lines, which is efi'eetive for moving such valve from its seated position to wide-open position, and vice Versa, with an instantaneous snap.

A further object is to provide an efiicient and simple valve of the character mentioned adapted for association with the diaphragm or movable member of a temperature regulator or thermostat and which may be readily adjusted to any desired degree of sensitiveness.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be particularly described reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention showing the parts in valve-closing position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the saddle late, showing the same and the parts associated therewith occupying initially elevated osition;

Fig. 8 is a si eelevation of the saddle, detached, and

Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of said J saddle.

Referring to said drawings, in which like designating characters distinguish like parts throughout the several views 1 indicates the body of a valve of common form, 2 the shiftable valve member, and 3 the valve stem by which said member 2 is carried. Superimposed on the valve body is the horizontal connecting portion of a substantially U-shaped yoke 4 between the upright members 4 and 4 of which extends the valve stem 3 which has its upper end projected .a suitable distance above .a packmg gland 5. Carried by the said upper end :of said stem is an adjustable head 6 which is pivotally connected by two parallel links 7 to the lower intermediate portion of a saddle-piece or plate 8 which is of inverted U- shape in cross section. Having one end received between the members of said saddle plate at the lower front end of the latter and pivoted to said plate is one end of a link 9 which has its opposite end pivotally connected to the upper end of a rocker member 10.

The rocker member 10 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon the arm 4 of the yoke 4 and has its lower end located rearward of said arm. A rod or pin 11 carried by said lower end of the rocker projects forward through an eye in said arm 4 and has threaded upon its outer end an adjusting nut 12 between which and the opposing face of said arm is a pin-encircling spiral spring 13.

The lower part of the rear end of the saddle plate 8 has therein an upwardly and forwardly inclined slot 1% through which extends a pivot pin 15 carried by the upper end of the arm 4: of the yoke 1, said upper end of said arm being bifurcated and having the said lower rear end part of said saddle plate disposed in the bifurcation thereof. Located between the members of said saddle plate is a link 16 which has one end pivoted u on said pivot pin 15 and its opposite end plvoted on the pin 17 by which the links 7 are connected to said plate.

Disposed between the members of the saddle plate adjacent to the upper edge of the latter is the rear end of a lever 18 which is pivoted to said plate at 19. In the normal postion of the mechanism said lever has an approximately horizontal disposition, being supported in such position by a pin 20 which is fixed in said plate 8 at a suitable point in front of the pivot pin 19 and which extends through a slightly oblong transversely extending opening 21 provided therefor in-said lever.

The front end of the lever 18 is connected in a suitable manner, as by a suspension chain 22, to the movable member vof a tem- .perature regulator or thermostat (not shown) by which said lever may be elevated I for shifting the valve 2 to open position. A weight 23 mounted on said lever serves as a counterbalance for overcoming the resistance to lowering movement of said lever offered by the spring .13 when the force exerted by the regulator orthermostatforsus taining said lever in elevated position is removed or becomes practically negliglble.

In the normal or lowered position of the mechanism, the weight ofcthe saddle plate 8 and the parts sustained thereby, including the lever 18 and counterbalance 23, is carried by the pivot pin 17 which is sustained by the links 7, and said saddle plate occupies from said position the'saddle plate is gradually rocked rearward on the pivot 17 until the pivot pin 24L has passed the said line of force, whereupon, actuated by. the spring 13, the movable parts, excepting the lever 18, will jump slightly to the position indicated in Fig. 2, wherein the rear end of said plate has the upper end of the slot 1 1 seated against the pivot pin 15. At such position, the line of force exerted by the spring lies between the pivot pins'25 and 15, and the weight of the movable parts is removed producing elevationof the valve 2. Continued elevating movement of the lever above the point at which the pivot pin 20 V engages the lower end of the opening 21 therein, as shown in Fig. 2, elevates the front end of plate 8 untilthe pivot pin 24 V has passed the last mentioned line of force, whereupon, actuated by the spring 13, the front end of the plate jumps to a point where the lower end of the opening 21fengages the pin 20, In said movement the plate rotates on pivot pin 15 and lifts the valve 2 from its seat throughout a considerable distance with a sudden, or snap, movement. a i

It will'be noted that, due to the initial rearward swinging movement of the plate 8, permitted by the provision'of the slot 14:, a lifting tension is not placed .upon the valve ,stem 3 until an approximately half-way point in the movement of the lever is reached. As is obvious, further elevation of said lever is permitted without unseating the valve by the provision of the opening 21.

As the temperature rises above a predetermined point, the tension placed by the regulator upon the suspension chain gradually relaxes and the counterbalance weight actuates the lever to descend" gradually against the resistance offered by the spring until, at a point where the line of force between the pivot pins 25 and 15 is crossed by the pivot pin 24,the spring supplements the counterbalance weight and the parts are thereby actuated to move instantaneously, or with a snap, to normal position in which the valve 2 is firmly seated.

The spring 13 tends to resist initial movement of the parts from either of the two limits of movement and facilitates final movement in each -d1rect1on. Obvlously,

following a proper adjustment, the operasaid rocker member, the rear end of said plate having flexible connection with the other arm of said yoke, a lever mounted .on said plate and projecting forward therefrom, and means exertinga yielding force upon said rocker member tending to hold the lever-carrying plate against movement J from either of its opposite limits;

2. A snap movement valve mechanism comprising .a valve having a vertically movable stem, a yoke mounted on said valve, a

rocker member pivoted upon one arm of said from the valvesupported links 7 without yoke, a plate having connection intermediate its ends with said valve stem andhavin'g pivoted link connectionat its front endfwithi said rocker member, the rear end of said plate having flexible connection with the other arm of said yoke, aflever mounted on said plate and projectingforward 'therefrom, means yieldingly resisting movement of said lever-carrying plate from'either of "its opposite limits of movement, and means for adjusting the tension of said yielding means. 7

3. A snapmoveme t valve mechanism comprising a valve having a've'rtically movable stem, a yoke mounted on said valve, a rocker member pivoted uponone arm of said'yoke,

a plate having pivotal connectionwith said valve stem and having pivotal connection atits front and rear ends, respectively, with said rocker and the other of the arms of said yoke, said plate in one position having rockingmovement on its, pivotal connection, w th sald valve stem and in another posi tlon'having rocking movement on its pivotal connection with the rearyoke arm',' a lever carried by said plate and projecting forward therefrom, and means yieldin gly re-.'

sisting movement of said plate fromeither of its opposite limits of movement; 1 V

4. snap movement valve mechanism comprlsmg a valve having a vertically movable stem, a yoke mounted on saidvalve, a rocker member pivoted upon one arm of said yoke, a plate having pivotal connection with said valve stem and having pivotal connection at its front and rear ends, respectively, with said rocker and the other of the arms of said yoke, said plate in one position having rocking movement on its pivotal connection with said valve stem and in another position having rocking movement on its pivotal connection with the rear yoke arm, a lever carried by said plate and projecting forward therefrom, and means adapted to yieldingly resist initial movement of said plate from either of its opposite limits of movement and to accelerate movement of said plate following initial movement thereof.

5. A snap movement valve mechanism comprising a valve having a vertically movable stem, a yoke disposed in fixed relation to said valve, a rocker member pivoted to one arm of said yoke, a plate interposed between said rocker member and the opposite arm of said yoke, a weighted lever carried by said plate and normally maintaining the latter in an approximately horizontal position, said valve stem having pivotal connection with said plate at a point intermediate the ends of the latter, a spring associated with said rocker member and tending to hold the latter in a position resisting initial rearward rockin movement of said plate, to accelerate suc rocking movement, once initiated, to an approximately half-way point in the movement of which said plate is capable, to resist continued movement from such half-way point, and finally, following slight movement against its resistance from said half-way point, to accelerate such movement to the limit of the movement of which said plate is capable for elevating said valve from seated position to wide-open position by an instantaneous movement.

6. A snap movement valve mechanism comprising a valve having a vertically movable stem, a yoke disposed in fixed relation to said valve, a rocker member pivoted to one arm of said yoke, a spring associated with said rocker member and tendin to maintain the upper end of the latter m a rearwardly thrust position, a plate having pivoted link connection at one end with said upper end of the rocker member and having pivotal connection at its rear end with the opposite yoke arm, said plate also having pivoted connection intermediate its ends with said valve stem, and a lever carried by said plate and adapted to be elevated and lowered for rocking said plate rearward and back to effect opening and closing movements of said valve.

7. A snap movement valve mechanism comprising a valve having a vertically movable stem, a yoke disposed in fixed relation to said valve, a rocker member pivoted to one arm of said yoke, a spring associated with said rocker member and tending to maintain the upper end of the latter in a forwardly thrust position, a plate having pivoted link connection at one end with said upper end of the rocker member and having pivotal connection at its rear end with the opposite yoke arm, said plate also having pivoted connection intermediate its ends with said valve stem, and a lever carried by said plate and adapted to be raised and lowered to initiate movement of said plate from its opposite limits of oscillatiomsaid spring being adapted to actuate said plate to complete the initiated movement in either direction for opening or closing the valve instantaneously.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. BRAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

